The DL newsletter is a monthly online flyer published by IDEAL (Interactive Distance Education for All Learners) to provide faculty with current news and initiatives in online learning at BGSU. Each newsletter will contain online pedagogy articles, training and workshop dates, online teaching tips, online teaching resources, and interviews with BGSU faculty or staff who teach online.

DL News and Updates

• BGSU has been granted the "Best Practices in Student Services" designation by the Ohio Learning Network. Read Monitor Article
  
  
• The next Online Faculty Training Program - June 6th, 2005
  
  Our first online faculty training course was a success, so If you missed it don’t worry, we are offering it again. Learn effective techniques of teaching online by participating in BGSU’s Online Faculty Training Program.
  
  Remarks by participants from the previous training seminar:

• “WOW....in a short period of time, I feel like I have learned a great deal. Some of what we did was a review. Some of the discussion items blew me out of the water.” – Cindy Hendricks after week 1 of training.
  
  
• ”Since I am simultaneously creating a course (Russian Culture) and taking this On-Line Faculty course, this week was a veritable gold mine for me in the mechanics of Blackboard.”– James Rebar after week 2 of training.

The internet is a powerful tool but teaching online is an art. Gain the confidence to master the art of teaching online by participating in this online workshop. An online course is not a repository for information. It is an interactive, collaborative, and informative method of instruction. Join your colleagues in learning how to harness the power of online instruction by participating in a 3 week online workshop delivered via Blackboard and facilitated by a distance learning specialist. Just like most distance courses, this course works around your schedule rather than vice versa. The best way to learn how to teach effectively online is to first become a student online. More info on this course below.

• Blackboard Course Management System update
  Blackboard Release 6.2 will be installed during the Summer, 2005 and will provide additional functionality as well as resolve many issues experienced with the current version of Blackboard. Listed below are new features of Blackboard 6.2:
  Test Answer Download: Instructors can now download the results of a test. This allows them to track student performance across sections of a course and across semesters using 3rd-party statistical analysis tools.
  Survey Response Download: Instructors and organization managers can now aggregate data and perform item-level analysis.
  Quick Tool Linking: Instructors can now add material to the content page, add a discussion board forum, add a live chat, or any tool directly in any area of the course with only a few clicks.
  SCORM Player: This simplifies the proper handling and display of SCORM 1.2 and NLN compliant content by bundling the player into Blackboard.
  IMS Content Player: This supports reuse of content developed under IMS standards within specific content areas, facilitating faculty collaboration with peers and use of the best quality content.
  
  For information about resolved issues and for more details about the upgrade to Blackboard 6.2, go to: http://www.bgsu.edu/offices/its/blackboard/bb62.html

Effective Online Pedagogy: A few simple ways to set your students’ expectations

• E-mail your students as early as possible but at least a week before the course begins to introduce yourself, set the expectations of your students, attach your syllabus, and explain the course goals.
• Give students access to the classroom before the first day of class and encourage them to explore the areas so they can get familiar with the online environment.
• Use the Announcements function in Blackboard to update students, prepare students for the weekly lesson, and to summarize previous lessons.
• Create a Module Overviews area (a check-list of everything that is due in every module)
• Provide a detailed syllabus

Tip of the Month: Create a “Questions for the Instructor Forum” to streamline questions
Many times students have the same questions in mind and in an online environment your in-box can fill up fast with repeat questions. One of the best ways to answer student questions effectively and efficiently is to create a “Questions for the Instructor Forum” in the Discussion Board. Tell your students to post all of their questions about the course to that forum. Their questions may include anything from how to turn in an assignment to asking for clarification on an assignment, and just about anything else you can think of. In addition to saving you a lot of time not having to repeat your answers via e-mail, this method also encourages students who may know the answer to jump in on the discussion board and reply with an answer, thus saving you time and engaging the students.


Online Instructor Training
June 6th – June 24 – Three Week BGSU IDEAL Online Teacher Training program – To enroll in the training or for more information, call 419-372-6843 or e-mail ideal@bgsu.edu

• • Learn effective strategies to manage and deliver your online course.
  • Discuss key topics with your facilitator and other online teachers.
  • Learn and discuss important issues of online delivery such as: setting student expectations, multimedia and course content, communication, assessment, feedback, and more.
  • Manage a practice classroom.
  • Gain a thorough understanding of Blackboard from both the student and teacher perspective.
  • Receive answers to any technical or pedagogical questions.
  • Receive a Certificate indicating that the instructor has completed the training course, which is aligned with the best pedagogical practices published by the Institute for Higher Education Policy (IHEP).
    For more information e-mail ideal@bgsu.edu
  • Talk to your department about teaching online and contact us.

Featured IDEAL Staff Member: Terence Armentano

Terence Armentano joined the IDEAL staff in January, 2003 as an Instructional Designer/Multimedia Specialist. His responsibilities at IDEAL include developing multimedia for online courses and providing technological and pedagogical support and training to faculty in the design, development, and implementation of distance courses and programs. In addition to instructional design, multimedia, and training, Terence has experience teaching online Graduate courses in Instructional Technology. His experience in Instructional Technology spurred him on at IDEAL to create an online training program for BGSU faculty preparing to teach online. Terence designed, developed, and launched the first online faculty training program this past spring and will continue facilitating more sessions throughout the year. This three week online training seminar was created to teach faculty how to teach online and to let them experience an online course from the student’s perspective. The next training program begins on Monday June 6th, 2005.

In addition to consulting with faculty on distance learning, Terence is one of IDEAL’s web masters and recently re-designed the online.bgsu.edu web site for distance students. He also was responsible for the design and development of this online newsletter, which was created to provide information about distance learning services, initiatives, and current events to BGSU faculty who are teaching online.

In his spare time when he is not at work, Terence enjoys spending time with his wife and friends, cooking out, riding his motorcycle, hiking and camping, playing the guitar, reading, and enjoying his work as the Director of Youth Ministries at Bowling Green Covenant Church.

Terence can be reached at 419 372-6843 or via terence@bgnet.bgsu.edu for assistance with online course development.

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